High school students from Aberystwyth, Wales—a town with an ongoing exchange program with Yosano, Kyoto Prefecture—are currently visiting the town. On October 26, 2026, they visited a memorial in the Taki area of Yosano—a site that serves as the foundation for this relationship—to offer prayers for peace. The memorial was originally erected by a former British prisoner of war (POW) from World War II.
During the war, Allied POWs were subjected to forced labor at the Oeyama nickel mine in what was then Kaya Town (now part of Yosano). The late Frank Evans, a native of Aberystwyth, returned to Yosano after the war and, in 1984, built the memorial to honor his fallen comrades.
A reciprocal high school student exchange program began in 1992, and this marks the 15th time that Yosano has hosted students from Aberystwyth. The current delegation, which arrived on October 23, includes five high school students and a group of seven adults, among them Mayor Emlyn Jones.
At the memorial, Shigeru Wada, chairman of the Yosano-Aberystwyth Friendship Association, pledged that "this unfortunate history must never be repeated," followed by a floral offering from the students. Sian Evans, an 18-year-old high school senior, remarked, "I hope we can continue these peaceful exchanges in the future."
During their stay, which concludes on October 29, the group will engage with students from Miyazu Tenkyo High School and Hashidate Junior High School, and will also visit local sites, including a sake brewery.
